Danger on the Downs

Its 1938 and unemployed actress Cora Clarke has been invited by her Great Aunt to visit. Her Aunt who works for a Mrs Ivanov. On finding out that Cora has played a detective in films she employs her to find out who is trying to kill her husband. Tragedy strikes when he is found dead, but he is not the last.<br />A lightweight cozy mystery which unfortunately I didn't really find any depth to the characters or find them interesting.<br />A NetGalley Book

What a delightful cozy mystery! Just enough mystery and fun characters that will have you smiling as you turn the pages! Cora Clarke was a former child star and Hollywood actress who traveled to England to visit her great aunt who works at a seaside home. Of course, since Cora had once played a sleuthing teen on a TV show, everyone thought she was the real thing! (yes don't we do that with actors and actresses!) Her great aunts employer asked her to help find the person who was trying to kill her husband. What to do? Especially when he winds up dead anyway!<br />What she finds is that all is not as it seemed for the murdered victim and with the help of various entertaining characters including a handsome investigator, the hunt is on!<br />This story was so refreshing and looking forward to more in this series and by this author!!<br />

3.5/5<br /><br />I read this in a few hours, and can only say I found it amazingly charming and delightful! Bianca Blythe has set us up with a lovely protagonist who takes people unawares with her sleuthing abilities as they think her only a silver screen darling.<br /><br />Cora Clarke is charming and real, I liked her flaws and quirks, and I enjoyed the voice Bianca has given her. I had not read book one in this series but found it wasn't necessary which I find to be a huge bonus when you pick up a book that seems up your alley. <br /><br />The style is a bit reminiscent of Agatha Christie, a dinner party, no one else in or out which means its one of the guests or servants and it is a fun game of guess who. Some of you may find you'll know who did it right off the bat, but, she still provides enough twists and turns to divert you if you aren't sleuthing yourself for the real culprit. Overall if someone is not into grisly murder mysteries but want a good 'whodunnit' novel with some adorable romance... they'll find this one truly a delight, the sleuthing starlet is definitely a series I look forward to keeping an eye out for. <br /><br />I read a free ARC of this that I accessed from Netgalley, I was not paid or enticed to give anything but an honest review.

Cora Clarke was a child star who didn't age quite fast enough; her voice is still high, she is a bit short to be a real leading lady. Everyone knows that she's older so audiences just aren't seeing her the same way. And she's not really sure she wants to be an actor anymore anyway. She's traveling in England and her great-aunt asks her to come visit. Her aunt is one of the maids for a woman who was married first to a wealthy man and now to a foreign prince. When the hostess of the house, Mrs. Ivanov, finds out who Cora is, she invites her to join the dinner party upstairs. But she has a problem that she wants Cora to figure out (since Cora played a girl detective); who is trying to kill her husband? Cora isn't really excited about that plan but she's delighted to find out one of the guests is her best friend, Veronica. Too bad someone kills Mr. Ivanov anyway. At least that means Cora gets to see investigator Randolph again.<br />I wish this book had had about 80 more pages for a little more exposition. It was a nice, quick read but would have benefitted by a little more filler. The story was so pared down that I felt a little whiplashed by how fast the "ending" changed. It would have also served to make the ending a little less abrupt.

Cora was a child actress on the silver screen. She played a young girl detective. But, she got older and now she is simply a young lady.<br /><br />She is in England, with her dog Archibald, and on her way to visit her Aunt Maggie. Maggie is a maid in a grand house. Cora has never met Maggie, but is looking forward to meeting someone who is family.<br /><br />Strange things happen.<br /><br />When Cora arrives at the mansion, the owner, Mrs Ivanov, presses her to come to the house party she is having. She wants Cora to investigate and find who is trying to kill her husband.<br /><br />Cora is supposed to watch the other guests and see if she sees anyone or anything that is suspicious.<br /><br />The guests are a mixed bag. An accountant and his wife, who are out of their depth. A West End producer and Cora’s best friend, Veronica, from Hollywood. Veronica may be starring in a West End play. Of course, Mr Ivanov is there as well as his sister, Natalia. Finally there is Mr Fawcett, an heir to the fortune of Mrs Ivanov.<br /><br />Everyone has secrets. Everyone is sniping at one another. There are very few people among the guests who are likable.<br /><br />When it is needed, Cora begins to investigate. She can’t help herself. She has a natural curiosity and a good mind for solving puzzles.<br /><br />And when she most needs him, there appears a man she who is obviously interested in her, Cora is happy to see Randolph. He has secrets as well. Cora is curious about him, but she is willing to overlook them, for now.<br /><br />This is during the time between the two world wars. There is a sense of unease. Germany has spread her wings and is absorbing other countries. Anarchists are running rampant in Europe. All in all, the world is an unsettled place. <br /><br />Cora is intrepid. She makes a good girl detective. She believes in doing the right thing and being a good person. <br /><br />Although this is second in a series, it is easy to follow the story and understand the action. <br />This is a fun and entertaining book. I look forward to seeing more of Cora.<br />

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review. <br /><br />Child star from Hollywood, Cora Clarke, moves to England to find long-lost relatives or to look for a new life, as she is no longer can play a girl detective. She outgrew that role and was unable/did not want to get another. The reasoning was quite vague in the novel. The move was also quite ambiguous as some scandal in Hollywood was briefly mentioned. However, Danger on the Downs is a second book in the series, but haven’t read the first, I assume most of my questions were answered there. <br /><br />The book is ok, a bit slow from the start, but picks up reasonably soon. I found it a bit hard to follow, as it seems that characters were jumping from conversation to conversation, from discussing one person to the other. Few parts I found quite hard to believe and/or lack of explanations. For instance, Cora always acted on impulse, she never considered rules of the house, and was in and out of the table as she pleased. Remembering Downtown Abbey and any other movies/series set in the same period of time, that kind of behavior seemed very rude toward the hostess. <br /><br />I wish the author would elaborate more on the characters in the story and provided some kind of background. They were detached and hard to imagine.<br /><br />I give the book three stars. I was into the sequences of events, but couldn’t connect to any characters and didn’t enjoy the flow.

Sussex, 1938. <br />Former Hollywood child star Cora Clarke may be new to England, but she does know that visiting the seaside is supposed to be a soothing experience. The snowy white cliffs and foamy ocean are indeed idyllic, but when her great aunt Maggie’s employer Mrs Ivanov insists someone is trying to murder her husband, Cora is whisked off to a house party with her pet bichon Archibald. When someone soon turns up dead, Cora discovers Sussex might possess scandals that exceed anything a Hollywood director might conjure for the silver screen.<br />This is the second book of the series &amp; another enjoyable read. A good old fashioned whodunnit where the characters aren't likeable &amp; their backstory isn't delved into so that you are left in the dark about the suspects &amp; they are all suspects. There are twists &amp; turns until the villain is revealed. I do like Cora &amp; Randolph &amp; hope their relationship continues to develop in later books. The pace of the story is good &amp; my interest was held all the way through. I enjoy this type of murder mystery &amp; it makes a welcome change from modern police procedural novels<br />My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read<br />

Former child star and Hollywood actress Cora Clarke is on her way to visiting her great aunt who works at a seaside home in England. This is the first time meeting and she is excited about the new adventure. Upon arrival, her great aunt’s employer insists that they have a chat over tea. Cora is told that someone is trying to kill the employer’s husband and she wants Cora’s help. While Cora played a sleuthing teen on a popular TV show, she doesn’t know the first thing about private investigating. Somehow Cora finds herself entangled in a murder mystery when the employer’s husband is in fact murdered.<br /><br />Cora is a naïve but heartwarming individual who seems to get caught up in situations beyond her control. In this adventure, she gets the help of another actress and friend Vanessa along with once again bumping into the attractive Randolph. This is a delightful historical cozy mystery filled with a bit of intrigue, interesting historical facts, entertaining characters, and a murder that is not easy to solve.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Cora still had a girly sounding voice, which made it essentially impossible for her to transition to more adult roles, after outgrowing her juvenile Gal Detective movie series roles. <br /><br />With the threat of war with Germany looming on the horizon, Cora goes to visit he Aunt Maggie on the shore, and discovers a puzzle of a scene. Her Aunt work for a woman wed to a Bulgarian, near heir to that throne. <br /><br />A manor and Folly on the cliffs, with the original great home nearby and a flock of murders make for a lively visit - perhaps better described as a deadly visit. <br /><br />Cora did pick up some keen observational skills filming all those detective stories. <br /><br />Too bad the folks at the manor did not put together the same puzzles, because some lethal misjudgments occur.<br /><br />Brit historical cozy with a bit of Hollywood Screen and London Stage flair and characters thrown in.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I very much enjoyed this period mystery in which a "Gal Detective" from Hollywood tries to solve a baffling murder in the English countryside. The period tone is well maintained. At times I found the writing a little stiff and awkward, as if attempting an unaccustomed formality, but this is certainly better than the breezy anachronisms one often finds. <br /><br />The house party includes three actresses including the hostess, an accountant and his wife, a detective writer, a West End producer, and some mysterious foreigners. Downstairs is not neglected either, and the first arrest is of a supposed anarchist among the staff. Suspicion flits from character to character until the penny drops for the heroine and she confronts the murderer... alone of course (why do they do that?)<br /><br />There's a little mild romance that doesn't get in the way of the story. I'll definitely be looking out for more in this series.